Skip to content

Quotes from Lateral Thinking : Creativity Step by Step — Edward de Bono

1933–2021 England

← All quotes by Edward de Bono

12 quotes

Rightness is what matters in vertical thinking. Richness is what matters in lateral thinking.

Lateral Thinking : Creativity Step by Step (1970)

Lateral thinking is closely related to insight, creativity and humour.

Lateral Thinking : Creativity Step by Step (1970)

With lateral thinking one goes on generating as many approaches as one can even after one has found a promising one.

Lateral Thinking : Creativity Step by Step (1970)

Design is really a special case of problem solving.

Lateral Thinking : Creativity Step by Step (1970)

You cannot dig a hole in a different place by digging the same hole deeper.

Lateral Thinking : Creativity Step by Step (1970)

The concept of lateral thinking is insight restructuring and this is brought about through the rearrangement of information.

Lateral Thinking : Creativity Step by Step (1970)

The rejection process is incorporated in the concept of the negative. The negative is a judgement device.

Lateral Thinking : Creativity Step by Step (1970)

The concept of logical thinking is selection and this is brought about by the processes of acceptance and rejection. Rejection is the basis of logical thinking.

Lateral Thinking : Creativity Step by Step (1970)

At school the emphasis has traditionally always been on vertical thinking which is effective but incomplete. This selective type of thinking needs to be supplemented with the generative qualities of creative thinking.

Lateral Thinking : Creativity Step by Step (1970)

Vertical thinking is selection by exclusion. One works within a frame of reference and throws out what is not relevant. With lateral thinking one realizes that a pattern cannot be restructured from within itself but only as the result of some outside influence.

Lateral Thinking : Creativity Step by Step (1970)

Lateral thinking... is the process of using information to bring about creativity and insight restructuring. Lateral thinking can be learned, practised and used. It is possible to acquire skill in it just as it is possible to acquire skill in mathematics.

Lateral Thinking : Creativity Step by Step (1970)

With vertical thinking one may look for different approaches until one finds a promising one. With lateral thinking one goes on generating as many approaches as one can even after one has found a promising one. With vertical thinking one is trying to select the best approach but with lateral thinking one is generating different approaches for the sake of generating them.

Lateral Thinking : Creativity Step by Step (1970)

Attribution

Quotes and notes from Wikiquote: Edward de Bono (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.